George  Washington  Flowers 
Memorial  Collection 

DUKE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 


ESTABLISHED  BY  THE 
FAMILY  OF 
COLONEL  FLOWERS 


DECENNIAL  CELEBRATION 

OF  THE 

ORGANIZATION  OF  KINGS  MOUNTAIN 
PRESBYTERY. 


LINCOLNTON,  NORTH  CAROLINA 
NOVEMBER    12TH,  13TH,  1912. 


The  Tenth  Anniversary  of  the 
organization  of  Kings  Mountain 
Presbytery  was  celebrated  in  the 
Presbyterian  church  in  Lincoln- 
ton,  November  the  12th  and  13th. 
The  Presbytery  of  Kings  Moun- 
tain was  organized  in  Lincolnton, 
November  the  18th  1902.  It  was 
set  off  from  Mecklenburg  Presby- 
tery and  composed  of  the  five 
counties  of  Lincoln,  Gaston,  Cleve- 
land, Butherford  and  Polk.  An 
interesting  programme  had  been 
arranged  for  the  occasion  by  the 
committee  having  the  matter  in 
charge. 

Au  invitation  had  been  extend- 
ed to  all  the  churches  of  the  Pres- 
bytery to  send  delegates,  and  the 
occasion  was  pleasant  and  profit- 
able to  those  who  attended.  The 
exercises  were  presided  over  with 
ease  and  grace  by  Rev  Geo.  A. 
Sparrow,  to  whose  preparation  of 
the  programme  and  persistent  ef- 
fort much  of  the  credit  for  the 
successful  celebration  is  due. 

Tuesday  evening  the  exercises 
were  opened  by  an  address  of  wel- 
come by   Elder  A.    M.    Hoke  of 


Lincolnton;  response,  P.  W.  Gar 
land,  Esq.,  of  Gastonia,  which 
was  followed  by  an  address  out- 
lining the  history  of  Presbyter- 
ianism  to  the  formation  of  Kings 
Mountain  Presbytery  by  Elder  A. 
Nixon. 

Wednesday  morning  Rev.  R.  A. 
Miller  discussed  the  subject,  "Has 
Kings  Mountain  Presbytery  justi- 
fied the  action  of  Synod  in  the  sep 
aration."  Rev.  S.  L.  Cathey  read 
a  Memorial  of  the  deceased  Breth- 
ren -charter  members.  Touching 
remarks  were  made  by  a  number 
of  the  delegates  on  the  lives,  char- 
acter and  works  of  the  departed. 

Wednesday  afternoon  from  2  p. 
m.  until  7 :30  p.  m.  was  devoted 
to  social  intercourse.  The  ladies 
entertained  the  delegates  and  the 
congregation  at  a  reception  in  the 
Confederate  Memorial  Hall.  The 
hours  spent  in  this  interesting  old 
Hall  were  ielightfully  passed  and 
will  be  long  treasured. 

Wednesday  evening  Rev.  W.  E. 
Mcllwaine  of  Charlotte  in  felici- 
tous words  brought  greetings  and 
congratulations  from  the  mother 


Presbytery  —  the  Presbytery  of 
Mecklenburg.  Eev.  W.  R.  Min- 
ter  gave  an  outline  of  a  decade  of 
Home  Mission  Work  in  Kings 
Mountain  Presbytery.  Rev.  G 
A.  Sparrow  spoke  of  the  growth 
of  Presbytery's  interest  in  the 
Orphan's  Home  at  Barium  Springs 
and  of  the  work  and  outlook  of  the 
Westminster  School.  This  w  s 
followed  by  Rev.  W.  E.  Mcll 
waine  on  the  growth  of  Mission 
Work  in  the  Presbytery  and  in 
the  Synod  of  North  Carolina. 

Thus  passes  into  history  an  in- 
teresting occasion,  Rev  W.  R. 
Minter,  at  much  pains,  had  collec 
ted  and  placed  on  the  walls  of  the 
church,  tablets  containing  much 
of  the  Presbytery's  work  and  ac 
coraplishment.  From  these,  large- 
ly, the  data  following  is  taken. 

PRESENT  AT  ORGANIZATION.  ' 

Ministers:  R.  Z.  Johnston,  J. 
J.  Kennedy,  R.  A.  Miller.  G.  A. 
Sparrow,  R.  C.  Morrison,  M.  McG 
Shields,  W.  R.  Minter,  T.  C. 
Croker,  S.  L.  Cathey,  J.  T.  Wade. 
Elders:  G.  W.  Long,  L.  R 
Welch,  H.  L.  Ramsaur,  S.  M. 
Wilson,  A.  Lee  Cherry,  S.  D. 
Burgin,  J.  G.  Morrison,  R.  L.  Ry- 
burn,  George  Cansler,  A.  C.  Clark, 
J.  Q  Holland,  J.  M.  Barber, 
Frank  Robinson,  C.  H.  Lineber 
ger,  R.  E.  Brown,  J.  E.  Reinhardt, 
R.  C.  Kennedy,  J.  T.  R.  Dame 
ron,  J.  L.  Clemmer,  C.  E. 
Nei&ler  and  C.  F.  Hunter. 

KINGS  MOUNTAIN  PRESBYTERY. 

Organization  in  Lincoluton, 
Nov.  12,  13,  1902.  Decennial 
celebration  in  Lincolnton,  Nov. 
12,  13,  1912.  "Here  we  raise 
our  Ebenezer." 


SYNODICAL  GENEALOGY. 

Synod  organized  in  1717;  di- 
vided into  the  Synods  of  New 
York  and  Philadelphia,  1741; 
1758,  the  two  Synods  reunited; 
1788,  the  Synod  of  the  Carolinas 
was  organized  at  Center  church, 
Iredell  county,  N.  C. ;  the  Synod 
of  North  Carolina  was  established 
in  1813. 

PRESBYTERIES. 

Genealogy  of  the  Presbytery  of 
Kings  Mountain:  The  first  Pres- 
bytery organized  in  1706;  173  7, 
Presbytery  of  Philadelphia;  1758, 
Presbytery  ot  Hanover,  Va. ;  1770, 
Presbyterv  of  Orange;  1795,  Pres- 
bytery of  Coucord;  1869,  Presby- 
tery of  Mecklenburg;  1902,  Pres- 
bytery of  Kings  Mountain. 

MODERATORS. 

The  Presbytery  meets  in  the 
Spring  and  Fall,  so  there  are  two 
Moderators  for  each  year  except 
the  first,  1902,  Rev  R.  A.  Miller; 
1903,  Revs.  R.  Z.  Johnston  and 
W.  H.  Wilson;  1904,  J.  M. 
Forbis  and  W.  A.  Murray;  1905, 
J.  B.  Cochran  and  T.  C.  Cioker; 
1906,  G.  A.  Sparrow  and  Cornel- 
ius Miller;  1907,  M.  A.  Hender- 
son, James  Thomas;  1908,  W.  R. 
Miuter  and  R.  C.  Anderson;  1909, 
A.  S.  Anderson,  G.  L.  Cook;  1910, 
R.  A  Miller,  C.  H.  Little;  1911, 
R.  S.  Burwell*  and  S.  S.  Oliver; 
1912,  A.  C.  Jones  and  W.  J. 
Sechrest. 

STATISTICS. 

The  following  figures  are  for  the 
years  1902  and  1912,  respectively: 
Churches,  31,  39;  ministers  14,  18; 
elders,  99,  127;  deacons,  83,  120; 
Sunday  School  enrollment,  1523, 


3 


2227;  members,  2180,  3043;  con- 
tribution for  Beneficence  $3,050.00, 
$7,985.00;  local  expenses,  $10,119 
$19,502  00;  total  offerings  $13,- 
169  00,  $27,487  00. 

FOREIGN  MISSIONS. 

Kings  Mountain  Presbytery's 
contribution  to  Foreign  Missions 
b>  yeais:  1902,  $565  00;  1903, 
$875;  1904,  1905,  $832.00; 

1906,  $862.00;  1907,  $874.00;  1908, 
$1869;  1909,  $2,174.00,  1910, 
$1692.00;  1911,  $2,185.00;  1912, 
$2872. 

MANSES  BUILT. 

At  Dallas,  Forest  City,  Belmont 
and  Mount  Holly.  Provided, 
Loray  and  Cliffside;  rebuilt,  Gas- 
tonia  and  Lincolnton. 

WESTMINSTER  SCHOOL. 

Principals:  1902  and  1903,  J. 
R.  Sandifer;  1903  04  W.  W. 
Brandt;  1905  07  W.  R.  Mirter; 
1907  (halfyear)  G.  T.  Pace;  1907- 
1909  R.  C.  Morrison;  1909  11  J. 
K.  Hail;  1911  T.  E.  P.  Woods. 

woman's  union 

Organized  in  Gastonia  June  12th, 

1907.  President:  1907-1908,  Mrs. 
D.  R.  LaFar;  1909  10,  Mrs.  J.  S. 
Wise;  1911  12,  Mrs.  L.  M.  Hull. 

FOREIGN  MISSIONARIES. 

Miss  Kittie  McMullen,  China; 
Mr.  Carroll  Whitener,  Japan. 

CHURCHES  ORGANIZED. 

Beattyville,  Bethany,  Bnstic, 
Cliffside,  El  Bethel,  Poors  Ford, 
Goshen,  High  Shoals,  Loray  and 
Union  Mills. 

CHURCHES  BUILT. 

Beattyville,    Bethany,  Bostic, 


Cliffside,  Drusilla,  High  Shoals, 
Loray  and  Saluda.  Rebuilt: 
Kings  Mountain  and  Union. 

IN  MEMORIAM. 

Four  ministers  of  the  charter 
members  of  the  Presbytery  have 
died:  Rev.  R.  Z  Johnston,  Rev. 
J.  J.  Kennedy,  Rev.  W.  H.  Wil 
son  and  Rev.  M.  A.  Henderson; 
and  five  of  the  elders:  S.  D.  Bur- 
gin,  J.  G.  Morrison,  J.  Q.  Hol- 
land and  A.  C.  Clark. 


Paper  Read  By  A.  Nixon  At  De- 
cennial Celebration  Of  Kings 
Mountain  Presbytery  Held  With 
Lincolnton  Presbyterian  Church 
November  12th  and  13th,  1912. 

American  Presbyterianism  like 
American  citizenship,  has  de- 
rived its  distinctive  character 
from  many  and  diverse  influences. 
As  we  trace  the  course  of  its  his 
tory  we  find  it  receiving  tributar- 
ies from  distant  and  varied  sources 
yet  all  blending  in  a  current  that 
flows  in  a  channel  of  its  own  and 
marked  at  every  stey  by  features 
peculiar  to  itself.  Commingled  in 
it,  and  made  more  or  less  homo- 
geneous by  it,  we  find  the  ele- 
ments of  English  dissent,  Irish 
fervor,  Scotch  persistence  and 
Huguenot  devotion.  There  is 
scarce  a  memorable  event  in  the 
history  of  protestantism  in  the  old 
world  that  does  not  assist  to 
elucidate  the ,  character  of  its 
founders.  It  inherits  alike  the 
memories  of  the  noble  men  who 
fell  victims  to  the  bigotry  of  Alva 
or  Laud,  or  eudured  the  brutal 
cruelty  of  Landerdale  or  Jeffries. 


P3481 


3 


4 


In  the  annals  of  the   German  re 
public,  the  heroism  of  the  Nether- 
lands, the  suffering  of  the  Hugue 
nots — culminating   in  the  bloody 
St.  Bartholmew,  the  sterling  cou 
scientiousness   of  the  Puritans, 
and   the   unswerving  loyalty  to 
Christs  crown  and  covenant  evinced 
by  the  countrymen  of  John  Knox, 
may  be  discerned  the   elements  of 
the  training    which   shaped  the 
views  and  character  of  its  founders. 

Thus,  without  taking  any  other 
church  on  earth  as  its  model,  it 
was  built  up  out  of  materials 
drawn  from  sources  the  most 
diverse  and  into  a  structure  that 
constitutes  its  own  type.  Even  in 
the  new  world  it  was  sometimes 
constrained  to  renew  the  struggle 
which  had  become  too  familiar  in 
the  old  and  was  modified  by  local 
influences.  Yet  ere  long  it  was 
left  unmolested,  and,  in  a  field 
broad  enough  to  tax  to  its  utmost 
energies  it  was  called  to  the  task 
of  competing  with  other  denomi- 
nations in  the  noble  work  of  evan- 
gelizing a  young  and  growing  em- 
pire. 

Until  about  1735  the  Province 
of  N.  C,  was  comprised  in  3 
counties,  Albarmarle,  Bath  and 
Clarendon,  and  these  in  turn  were 
subdivided  into  precincts.  This 
subdivision  was  abolished  in  1738 
and  the  counties  as  we  now  have 
them  began  to  be  formed  in  rapid 
succession.  New  Hanover  was  a 
precinct  of  Bath  set  up  in  1728. 
Its  eastern  limits  were  then  as  to 
day  the  great  Atlantic  Ocean. 
We  will  now  briefly  follow  the 
changes  taking  place  to  the  west 
and  note  the  formation  of  new 
counties  as  westward  the  course  of 
empire  takes  its  way. 


Bladen  was  set  up  in  1734  its 
eastern  boundary  was  defined  but 
westward  it  extended  to  the  bounds 
of  the  government,  comprehending 
the  whole  of  the  State  west  of 
New  Hanover. 

In  1749  Anson  was  set  up  from 
Bladen,  its  western  tei  minus  the 
indefinite  one  just  mentioned — the 
bounds  of  the  government. 

As  those  who  penetrated  the 
western  wilds  became  remote  from 
the  seat  of  government  a  new 
county  would  be  demanded.  De- 
cember the  11th  1762  the  western 
portion  of  Auson  was  set  up  into 
a  new  county  and  called  Mecklen- 
burg with  county  seat  the  Queen 
City  of  Charlotte,  names  given  in 
honor  of  Charlotte  of  Mecklenburg 
wife  of  his  Majesty  George  III. 
Mecklenburg  comprised  all  the 
territory  between  Lord  Granville's 
line  and  South  Carolina  from  An- 
son county  westward. 

In  1768  all  of  Mecklenburg 
county  west  of  the  Great  Catawba 
river  was  set  off  into  a  new  coun- 
ty, by  the  name  of  Tryon  county 
and  Saint  Thomas  Parish, so  named 
in  compliment  to  the  royal  Gover- 
nor, William  Tryon. 

In  1779  the  patriots  were  bat- 
tling for  Independence,  the  name 
of  the  roval  governor  was  blotted 
from  the  cata'ogue  of  counties,  the 
territory  of  Tryon  split  in  twain, 
and  the  new  counties  thus  formed, 
Lincoln  and  Rutherford,  named  in 
honor  of  the  distinguished  patriot 
generals,  Benjamin  Lincoln  and 
Grifl&th  Rutherford. 

The  old  counties  of  Lincoln  and 
Rutherford   have  since   been  sub- 
divided into  the  counties  compris 
ing  the  Presbytery  of  Kings  Moun 
tain. 


5 


It  is  a  coincidence  worthy  of 
passing  note  that  the  bounds  of 
Kings  Mountain  Presbytery  are 
coterminous  with  the  royal  county 
of  Tryon  and  Saint  Thomas  Par- 
isly.  Tryon  county  according  to  a 
survey  made  during  Governor 
Tryon 's  administration  was  re- 
ported to  be  forty  five  miles  from 
north  to  south,  and  eighty  miles 
from  the  Great  Catawba  river  on 
the  east  to  the  Cherokee  Indian 
line  on  the  west. 

The  pioneers  came  into  what  is 
now  the  bounds  of  Kings  Moun 
tain  Presbytery  when  its  territory 
was  a  part  of  Anson  county;  they 
continued  to  come  when  it  was 
Mecklenburg  and  Tryon,  and  up 
to  and  after  the  Eevolution. 

The  first  presbytery  in  this 
country  was  organized  in  1705;  the 
Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  was 
organized  in  1717;  Hanover,  1758; 
Orange,  1770;  Concord,  1795; 
Mecklenburg,  1869.  In  response 
to  an  overture  from  certain  minis 
ters  and  churches  on  the  west  side 
of  the  Catawba  river,  the  Presby- 
tery of  Mecklenburg  in  session  at 
Albermarle,  October  1902,  sent  an 
overture  to  the  Synod  of  N.  C, 
asking  for  the  division  of  Meck- 
lenburg Presbytery.  The  Synod 
at  Winston,  October  24,  1902, 
granted  this  overture  and  set  off 
the  counties  of  Lincoln,  Gaston, 
Cleveland,  Rutherford  and  Polk 
into  a  new  Presbytery  to  be  known 
as  the  Presbytery  of  Kings  Moun- 
tain. 

The  ministers  and  the  represen 
tatives  of  the  churches  met  in  this 
church,  November  the  18th,  1902, 
our  venerable  presbyter,  Rev.  R. 
A.  Miller  presiding,  and  the  Pres- 


bytery of  Kings  Mountain  was  or- 
ganized by  electing  Rev.  S.  L. 
Cathey  Stated  Clerk  and  John  F. 
Love  Treasurer.  As  thus  consti- 
tuted the  Presbytery  of  Kings 
Mountain  comprised  five  counties, 
fourteen  ministers,  thirty-one 
churches  and  2180  communicants. 

This  Presbytery  bears  a  historic 
name,  I  was  present  at.  the  organ- 
ization, and  well  remembes  the 
presentation  to  the  moderator  by 
Rev.  Mr.  Shields  a  gavel  carved 
from  wood  cut  on  Kings  Mountain 
by  a  descendant  of  one  of  the 
Kings  Mountain  heroes.  When 
Kings  Mountain  Presbytery  met 
for  the  first  time  at  Kings  Moun- 
tain I  sent  the  moderator  a  gavel 
carved  from  the  mud  sillofRam- 
sour's  Mill — a  mill  established  by 
the  pioneer  Derrick  Ramsour  in 
the  Reign  of  his  Majesty  "George 
the  Second,  by  the  Grace  of  God, 
of  Great  Britain,  France  and  Ire- 
land, King,  Defender  of  the  Faith 
etc.,"  and  made  historic  by  the 
defeat  of  the  loyal  adherents  of  his 
Majesty,  George  the  Third,  at  the 
Battle  of  Ramsours  Mill,  June 
20th  1780.  It  was  a  happy  coin- 
cidence that  the  moderator  re- 
ceiving the  gavel  was  Rev.  Wil- 
liam Ramseur  Minter,  a  descend- 
ant of  the  famous  old  pioneer. 

Following  the  exploring  expedi- 
tions sent  out  by  Sir  Walter  Ral- 
eigh in  1584,  the  first  attempts  to 
plant  English  settlements  within 
the  limits  of  the  United  States 
were  made  upon  the  soil  of  North 
Carolina.  Their  failure  left  the 
country  long  unoccupied.  Mean- 
while settlements  established  in 
Virginia  were  spreading  and  in 
course  of  time  along  the  sounds 


P34813 


6 


and  the  streams  of  the  east  was  a 
population  composed  of  English- 
men from  Virginia,  settlers  direct 
from  the  mother  country,  German 
Palatines,  Swiss,  French  Hugue- 
nots, Scotch  Highlanders  and  a 
few  New  Englanders.  While  such 
settlers  were  filling  up  the  east, 
pioneers  of  another  type  were 
coming  into  this  immediate  sec- 
tion, now  the  bounds  of  Kings 
Mountain  Presbytery. 

About  the  year  1737  the  Scotch 
Irish  from  the  north  of  Ireland, 
coming  by  way  of  Pennsylvania, 
began  to  occupy  the  beautiful 
valleys  of  Virginia,  and  the  waters 
of  the  Eoanoke,  while  scattered 
families  were  following  the  Indian 
Traders  Path,  and  settling  the 
wide  stretch  of  country  included 
between  the  Yadkin  and  the  Great 
Catawba.  Between  the  years  1745 
and  1750  this  settlement  overflow- 
ed the  Great  Catawba,  and  along 
its  west  bank,  in  what  is  today 
Lincoln  and  Gaston  counties — the 
eastern  border  of  Kings  Mountain 
Presbytery — the  cabins  of  the 
Scotch  Irish  were  beginning  to 
supplant  the  wigwams  of  the  red 
man.  These  were  a  stern  and 
virile  people  familiar  with  the 
National  Covenant  of  Scotland 
and  the  Westminster  Confession 
of  Faith,  whose  preachers  were 
trained  in  the  creed  of  Calvin  and 
Knox. 

At  the  same  time  another 
branch  of  the  human  family  were 
passing  to  the  west  and  settling 
beside  the  Scotch  Irish.  These 
were  the  Germans  or  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Dutch.  The  German  im- 
migration grew  out  of  desolating 
wars  that  made  existence  in  their 


native  land  intolerable.  In  this 
land  of  hills  and  vales  and  un- 
broken forest,  they  exemplified  the 
primal  injuncton,  "Be  fruitful 
and  multiply,  and  replenish  the 
earth  and  subdue  it." 

In  few  cases  did  these  different 
nationalities  in  the  first  instance, 
locate  upon  the  same  territory. 
The  consciousness  of  kind  was 
strong  enough  to  segregate  those 
of  the  same  race,  lauguage,  relig- 
ion and  habit  of  mind.  The  Eng- 
lishman, the  Highlander,  the  Ger- 
man and  other  European  Nation- 
alities occupied  strips  of  land 
across  the  state,  generally  in  a 
south  westerly  direction  like  so 
many  strata  of  a  geological  forma- 
tion. 

The  nationalities  for  the  most 
part  settling  in  what  is  now  the 
bounds  of  Kings  Mountain  Pres- 
bytery were  the  Scotch  Irish  and 
the  Germans.  The  German  and 
the  Scotch  Irishman  had  been 
neighbors  in  Pennsylvania,  they 
continued  so  in  North  Carolina, 
and  today  in  most  of  our  veins  in- 
termingle the  blood  of  the  German 
and  the  Scotch  Irishman. 

Col.  W.  L.  Sauniers,  North 
Carolina's  versatile  and  distin- 
guished historian,  after  describ 
ing  the  route  our  ancestors  came 
from  Pennsylvania,  pays  them  a 
tribute,  which  well  applies  to  the 
inhabitants  of  Kings  Mountain 
Presbyter}.  "Remembering  the 
route  (General  Lee  took  when  he 
went  into  Pennsylvania  on  the 
memorable  Gettysburg  campaign 
it  will  be  seen  that  very  many  of 
the  North  Carolina  boys,  both  of 
German  and  Scotch  Irish  descent, 
in  following  their  great  leader, 


7 


visited  the  homes  of  their  ances 
tors,  and  went  thither  by  the  very 
route  by  which  they  came  away. 
To  Lancaster  and  York  counties 
in  Pennsylvania  North  Carolina 
owes  more  of  her  population  than 
to  any  other  part  of  the  world,  and 
surely  there  was  never  a  better 
population  than  they  and  their 
descendants,  never  better  citizens, 
and  certainly  never  better  scldiers. 

The  maxim  that  one  is  known 
by  bis  companions,  was  in  use 
among  the  ancient  Romans,  nos- 
citur  ex  sociis,  as  was  the  con- 
verse, ex  uno  disce  omnes,  from 
one  learn  all.  Invoking  these 
rules  for  brevity  of  mention," 

I  recall  on  the  east  side  a 
Scotch  Irishman  to  whom  nature 
had  been  profuse  in  external  gifts; 
whose  features,  regular  and  classic 
in  outline,  would  have  satisfied  a 
sculptor,  form,  noble  and  com- 
manding, cast  indeed  in  natures 
finest  mould;  a  man  whom  I  have 
seen  and  the  most  commanding 
person  I  ever  saw:  citizen,  lawyer, 
member  of  the  General  Assembly, 
Speaker  of  the  House,  United 
States  and  Confederate  States 
Senator,  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 
candidate  for  Vice  President  con- 
sidered by  mauy  North  Carolina's 
most  distinguished  son,  William 
Alexander  Graham; 

In  the  famous  gubernatorial 
campaign  of  1844,  Gov.  Graham 
found  in  a  Dutch  citizen  and 
neighbor  a  foeman  worthy  of  this 
great  man's  steel, — a  gentleman  of 
fine  person,  fine  address,  of  large 
legislative  experience  and  high 
position  at  the  bar,  an  opponent 
whose  open  generous,  temper,  pol- 
ished oratory  and   elevated  mode 


of  argument,  won  the  regard  and 
respect  of  all  parties,  the  brilliant 
and  lamented,  Michael  Hoke; 

In  the  titanic  struggle  between 
the  States  among  those  who  gave 
their  lrves  to  the  Southland's 
cause  was  a  member  of  this  church 
whose  father  was  a  German,  his 
mother  Scotch  Irish,  who  for  cour- 
age and  gallantry  was  promoted 
rapidly  through  the  grades  to  the 
rank  of  Major- General,  Stephen 
Dodsen  Bamsaur; 

On  the  east  side  a  Scotch  Irish- 
man whose  mother  was  a  German 
for  heioic  daring  and  high  sol- 
dierly qualities  became  a  distin- 
guished Brigadier- General,  today 
a  Christian  soldier  on  life's  side  of 
the  great  divide,  the  knightly  and 
well  beloved,  Robert  D.  Johnston; 

A  German  of  this  town  whose 
mother  was  reared  in  the  blue 
atmosphere  of  Beatties  Ford,  en- 
listed with  the  first  volunteers, 
the  Southern  Stars,  with  rapid 
promotions  passed  to  the  rank  of 
Major  General.  Spared  long  years 
among  us,  but  lately  passed  over 
the  river  to  rest  under  the  shade 
of  the  trees,  the  great  Confederate 
leader,  Robert  F.  Hoke. 

The  pioneer  Germans  were  large- 
ly followers  of  the  great  central 
figure  of  the  Reformation,  Martin 
Luther  and  the  Swiss  Reformer, 
Ulrick  Zwingle,  whose  doctrinal 
symbols  were  the  Augsburg  Con- 
fession and  the  Heidelburg  Cate- 
chism. There  was  diversity  of 
churches  and  religious  creed 
among  the  pioneers,  and  at  an 
early  date  the  various  denom- 
inations now  laboring  in  the 
bounds  of  this  Presbytery  were  or- 
ganized and  at  work.    The  Pres- 


8 


byterian  church  owes  its  origin  to 
those  of  our  ancestors  who  were 
members  of  the  Presbyterian 
churches  of  Scotland  '  and  Ireland. 

In  order  to  understand  who  the 
Scotch  Irish  are  we  must  "go  back 
for  a  moment  to  those  dim  almost 
uncharted  regions  of  history 
which  disclose  the  tribes  of  the 
Germanic  forest  pouring  down 
upon  the  wreck  of  the  Roman  Em- 
pire. When  the  successive  waves 
of  the  Teutonic  Invasion  broke 
upon  Brittain  they  swept  up  the 
mountains  of  the  north  driving  the 
native  Picts  and  Scots  before 
them,  and  no  part  of  their  con- 
quest was  more  thoroughly  Dan 
ish  and  Saxon  than  the  Lowlands 
of  Scotland.  But  the  Highlander 
who  represented  the  survival  of 
the  great  Celtic  race,  untouched 
by  the  Roman  or  the  Saxon  inva- 
sion, and  the  Lowlander  who  rep 
resented  the  invaders  were  quick- 
ly welded  together  in  a  common 
hostility  to  their  great  and  grasp 
ing  English  neighbor  on  the  South. 
The  Celtic  blood  mingled  with 
that  of  the  Teutonic  tribes,  they 
quarreled,  they  fought  side  by 
side,  they  intermarried;  they  mod- 
ified each  other,  and  gradually 
adopted  each  others  customs  and 
habits  of  thought.  While  the 
Highlander  looked  down  upon  the 
Lowlander  as  a  trader  and  shop 
keeper,  and  the  Lowlander  re- 
garded the  Highlander  as  wild 
and  barbarous  the  ties  of  blood 
and  common  suffering  were  strong 
between  them  and  they  were  all 
Scotchmen. 

Scotland  has  a  history — one  of 
the  most  remarkable  in  the  annals 
of  men.    Shut  up  in    a  narrow 


region  of  mountain  and  of  lake;  a 
land  of  storm,  and  cold  and  mist, 
with  no  natural  resources  except 
a  meager  soil  and  a  tempestuous 
sea  to  yield  a  hard  earned  living; 
poor  in  this  world's  goods  and  few 
in  number,  yet  for  six  hundred 
years  these  hardy  people  main- 
tained their  independence  against 
their  powerful  foe  to  the  south- 
ward aud  only  united  with  him  at 
last  upoq  equal  terms. 

Those  six  centuries  of  bitter 
struggle  for  life  and  independence 
waged  continuously  against  na- 
ture and  man,  not  only  made  the 
Scotch  formidable  in  battle,  re- 
nowned in  every  camp  iu  Europe 
but  developed  qualities  of  mind 
and  character  that  became  insep 
arable  from  the  race.  The  Scotch 
intellect  passing  through  this 
severe  ordeal  was  quickened,  tem- 
pered and  sharpened. 

When  the  Province  of  Ulster  in 
the  north  of  Ireland  was  depopu 
lated  by  the  armies  of  Elizabeth 
and  James  the  First,  it  was  re- 
populated  largely  bv  immigrants 
from  Scotland  who  called  them- 
selves Scotch  Irish.  Transplanted 
into  Ireland,  he  was  again  in  a 
rough  country,  turned  into  a 
wilderness  by  fire  and  sword. 
Soon  its  prosperity  attracted  the 
greedy  e>es  of  Euglish  landlords 
and  the  Euglish  parliament  and 
they  began  to  reap  a  rich  harvest 
of  rents  and  taxes. 

As  there  had  been  a  tide  of 
emigration  from  Scotland  to  Ire 
land  in  the  seventeenth  century 
so  one  hundred  years  later,  after 
enduring  many  trials,  thousands 
of  Scotch  Irish  immigrants  came 
across  the  wide  Atlantic   to  these 


9 


hospitable  shores. 

Again  in  this  country  the 
Scotch  Irishman  found  himself  in 
a  wilderness  untouched  by  axe  or 
plow,  and  infested  with  savage 
foes.  With  fearless  heart  and 
undiscouraged  enthusiasm  he  cut 
his  way  through  the  trackless 
forest,  beat  back  his  painted  ene- 
mies, built  the  log  cabin,  and 
alongside  of  it  the  church  and  the 
schoolhouse,  tilled  the  virgin  soil, 
and  helped  to  lay  the  foundation 
of  our  splendid  civilization. 

The  Scotch  Irishman  has  a  deep 
craving  for  liberty  and  a  strong 
sense  of  his  rights,  bred  into 
him  by  centuries  of  despotism 
and  he  has  stubbornly  refused  to 
have  his  neck  under  a  yoke.  In 
Scotland  both  state  and  church 
drew  coils  around  him,  but  he 
could  not  be  bound,  and  his 
Scottish  obduracy  and  Celtic 
blood  rebelled;  so  he  was  taken 
into  a  partnership  in  which  the 
Scotchman  has  equal  rights  with 
the  Englishman.  John  Knox 
arose  as  the  embodiment  of  the 
conscience  of  his  people,  shattered 
the  papal  yoke  and  established 
the  Scottish  church  in  the  freedom 
it  has  today. 

Transplanted  to  Ulster  and 
transformed  into  Scotch  Irishmen 
this  restless  masterful  man  en- 
joyed a  season  of  prosperity  and 
peace,  but  presently  industrial 
and  religious  oppression  was  laid 
upon  him,  with  a  heavier  hand 
than  he  had  ever  known  before, 
and  yet  these  unreasonable  and 
obdurate  Scotch  Irish  were  Pres- 
byterians still.  This  oppression 
depleted  Ulster  of  much  of  its  best 
blood  and   drove    thousands  of 


Scotch  Irish  into  the  forests  of 
Pennsylvania. 

In  this  country  they  found  a 
more  congenial  atmosphere  and 
soil.  Its  wide  spaces  and  fresh 
air  conduced  to  breadth  of  thought 
and  freedom  of  spirit.  But  they 
were  still  under  dominion  of  the 
same  English  power;  and  when 
the  growth  of  the  colonies  ap 
proached  the  point  where  separa- 
tion from  the  mother  country  be- 
came inevitable,  the  Scotch  Irish- 
man came  to  the  hour  of  his  op- 
portunity, if  not  ot  his  revenge. 
Eager  to  tear  off  and  shatter  the 
yoke  that  had  galled  and  embit- 
tered them  on  their  native  shores, 
they  rushed  into  the  conflict,  and 
with  their  patriot  neighbors  at 
Eamsours  Mill,  Kings  Mountain 
and  the  Cowpens,  made  Yorktown 
possible  and  completed  what  they 
began  when  John  Knox  defied  the 
Queen  and  Ulster  the  King. 

From  the  year  1750  family  after 
family  and  group  after  group  suc- 
ceeded each  other  in  rapid  pro- 
gression, induced  hither  by  reports 
wafted  back  of  the  fertility  and 
beauty  of  solitudes  where  con- 
science was  free  and  labor  volun- 
tary, and  soon  the  settlements 
grew  dense  enough  for  a  frontier 
and  they  were  uniting  themselves 
into  congregations  for  the  purpose 
of  enjoying  the  ministration  of  the 
gospel. 

The  request  for  this  sketch  car- 
ried with  it  the  liberty  to  roam  at 
will  the  fields  of  history.  In  the 
short  time  at  my  disposal  I  have 
done  so,  and  now  at  my  conclusion 
have  perhaps  arrived  where  I 
should  have  begun,  namely,  the 
history    of  the  church  ana  of  the 


10 


churches  within  the  bounds  of 
Kings  Mountain  Presbytery.  Of 
course  the  establishment  of  this 
Presbytery,  its  accomplishment, 
its  work  and  prospects  devolves  on 
other  speakers. 

In  the  early  days  people  buried 
their  dead  on  their  own  home 
steads,  for  at  the  first  there  were 
no  churches,  then  churches  few 
and  far  apart.  There  is  scarce  an 
old  pi  station  today  but  has  on  it 
a  private  burying  ground.  These 
burying  grounds  were  sacred  spots 
and  most  of  the  churches  with 
which  I  am  familiar  were  estab 
lished  at  some  burial  place. 

The  oldest  church  on  the  rolls  of 
this  Presbytery  is  situate  far  to 
the  west  mid  the  beautiful  hills 
aud  fertile  vales  of  Eutherford 
county.  A  burial  ground  was  se 
lscted  on  vacant  land  when  this 
country  was  under  the  dominion 
of  Great  Britain.  Hence  when  it 
became  a  place  of  worship  the 
church  was  called  Britain.  Here 
repose  the  remains  of  many  patri- 
ots of  the  American  Revolution. 
Duncan's  Creek  is  a  fair  daughter 
of  Britain. 

The  pioneers  following  an  Indian 
trail  crossed  the  Great  Catawba  at 
a  ford  which  yet  retains  its  Indian 
name,  Tuckaseegee.  A  stranger 
in  those  days  passing  through  took 
sick;  his  pleasing  manners  endear- 
ed him  to  those  who  nursed  him; 
when  he  died  a  burial  place  was 
selected  for  his  body  on  the  brow 
of  the  hill  near  a  brook.  The  fam- 
ilies near  buried  their  dead  be- 
side the  stranger,  and  that  place  is 
now  a  city  of  the  dead.  In  choos 
ing  a  place  for  public  worship 
reverence  for  the  dead  led  the  peo- 


ple to  this  place,  and  here  is  his- 
toric old  Goshen. 

The  first  pale  face  to  set  foot 
upon  the  soil  of  Lincoln  county 
was  the  bold  pioneer,  John  Beattie. 
The  shoal  at  which  he  crossed  the 
Great  Catawba  forms  a  splendid 
ford,  and  yet  perpetuates  his 
name,  Beattie's  Ford.  The  Beat- 
tie  burying  ground  on  his  home- 
stead, was  in  a  level  spot  shaded 
by  oak  and  hickory  near  a  spring. 
A  rude  log  structure  erected  there 
was  called  Beattie's  Meeting  House 
The  second  church  was  erected  in 
1808  at  which  time  James  Connor, 
Alexander  Brevard,  John  Reed 
and  Joseph  Graham,  distinguished 
Revolutionary  soldiers  were  the 
Trustees  of  Unity  Congregation. 
The  present  edifice  at  Unity  was 
e/ected  in  1833  when  John  D. 
Graham,  Daniel  M.  Forney  and 
John  Knox  were  the  trustees. 

Dr.  Humphrey  Hunter,  a  patri- 
ot and  soldier  in  our  country's 
struggle  for  independence  became 
pastor  of  Goshen  and  Unity  in 
1796.  Lincolnton  was  one  of  his 
mission  points.  There  was  no  reg- 
ular organization  during  his  min- 
istration The  fruition  of  his  la- 
bors was  the  establishment  of  this 
church  in  the  year  1823. 

Gen.  Joseph  Graham  and  Capt. 
Alexander  Brevard  selected  a  fami- 
ly burying  ground  midway  between 
their  homesteads,  and  in  the  grave- 
yard at  Machpelah  have  been  laid 
to  rest  the  remains  of  many  his- 
toric dead.  During  the  ministry 
of  the  venerable  Robert  Hall  Mor- 
rison, D.  D.,  the  church  at  Cas 
tanea  Grove  was  built  on  the  high- 
way between  Goshen  and  Unity. 
Dr.  Morrison  closed   his  will  with 


11 


these  touching  words,  "I  expect 
my  body  to  rest  in  Machpelah 
graveyard  beside  the  precious  dust 
already  there." 

Olney,  Long  Creek,  Shiloh  and 
New  Hope  are  among  the  older 
churches,  each  with  a  history  of 
fasinating  interest,  but  I  must  for- 
bear further  particular  mention. 
The  fathers  made  history,  and  we 
owe  their  memories  a  debt  of  grat- 
itude But  they  were  too  much 
absorbed  in  the  struggle  for  exis 
tence,  civil  and  religious  liberty 
to  write   and   perpetuate  it,  so 


much  is  already  lost.  I  close  with 
the  suggestion  that  it  would  be 
well  for  Presbytery  to  see  that  the 
history  of  each  church  even  to  the 
youngest  on  the  roll — all  that  can 
be  gathered — is  written,  and  if  not 
published  in  some  enduring  form, 
that  the  materials  at  least  be  filed 
away  among  the  archives  with  the 
stated  clerk  for  the  use  of  some 
future  historian,  and  thus  preserve 
the  names  and  services  of  those 
who  wrought  in  the  heroic  past 
the  fruition  of  whose  labors  are 
the  great  blessings  we  enjoy. 


ROLL  OF  CHURCHES 


Date    of  Organization — Pastoral  Charges  And  Pastors — 

1912. 


Brittain,  1765,  Duncans  Creek,  185—, 
Drusilla,  185— ,  Union  Mills,  1905,  Rev. 
G.  L.  Cook. 

Goshen,  1775,  Mount  Holly,  189-, 
Stanley  Creek,  1891,  Rev.  S.  I,.  Cathey. 

Unity,  1775,  Machpelah,  1848,  Cas- 
tanea  Grove,  1861,  Rev.  Chas.  H.  Little. 

Olney,  1776,  Union,  1856;  Rev.  Geo. 
A.  Sparrow. 

Long  Creek,  1780,  Kings  Mountain, 
1884,  Bessemer  City,  1899,  Rev.  S.  S. 
Oliver. 

Shiloh,  1780,  Shelby,  1858,  Rev. 
James  Thomas. 

New  Hope,  1806,  Rev.  R.  S.  Burwell. 

Lincolnton,  1823,  High  Shoals,  1908, 
Rev.  W.  R.  Minter. 


Hephzibah,  1838,  Dallas,  1851,  Waco, 
1891,  Ironton,  1891,  Cherryville,  1893, 
Rev.  W.  J.  Sechrest. 

Rutherfordton,  183—,  Sandy  Plains, 
185— ,  Columbus,  1894,  Poors  Ford,  1912, 
Rev.  F.  B.  Rankin. 

Gastonia,  First,  1882,  Rev.  J.  H. 
Henderlite. 

Lowell,  1889,  Rev.  R.  A.  Miller. 

Belmont,  1890,  Rev.  W.  S.  Lacey. 

Forest  City,  1893,  Mooresboro,  1894, 
Bethany,  1904,  Bostic,  1910,  Rev.  C.  C. 
Carson. 

Henrietta,  1896,  Cliffside,  1909,  Rev. 
C.  L.  Wicker. 

Loray,  1907,  Rev.  A.  S.  Anderson. 


Date  Due 

1 

Form  335.    45M  8-37. 

N.C   #204    Z99A    v.  2  1900-30 
no s .24- 40  P42923 


